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Oregon-Utah Preview

With the conference championship still on the line, Oregon has
no time to dwell on its latest setback.

The No. 19 Ducks can clinch at least a share of the Pac-12
regular-season championship as they visit Utah on Saturday.

Oregon (23-7, 12-5) hardly looked like a conference-title
contender in its first opportunity to win the crown Thursday,
shooting 37.5 percent in a 76-53 loss at Colorado.

"This one is done and there's nothing we can do about it," said
coach Dana Altman, whose team dropped into a first-place tie with
No. 23 UCLA. "I don't say that very often, but we definitely have
to say it this time. It's over with; we have to bounce back real
quick.

"We still have half a championship to play for."

If the Ducks beat Utah (12-17, 4-13) and the Bruins snap an
eight-game road skid to Washington, the teams would share the
title. Oregon, which last won a league championship in 2002, would
earn the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament based on its
victory over UCLA on Jan 19.

If both teams lose, Oregon, UCLA, California and No. 18 Arizona
could potentially finish in a four-way tie for the title.

The Ducks are focused on trying to play better than they did
Thursday, when they failed to take advantage of a Colorado team
playing without Andre Roberson, who ranks among the national
leaders with 11.5 rebounds per game. Oregon still got outrebounded
38-35, shot a season-worst 9 of 22 from the free-throw line and
went 2 of 12 from 3-point range.

Forward Arsalan Kazemi believes the Ducks were simply outplayed
and did not succumb to the stress of trying to wrap up a piece of
the Pac-12 title.

"No, it wasn't any pressure, it was excitement," said Kazemi,
one of three Ducks with a team-leading 10 points. "I think we
thought they were just going to give it to us. It didn't happen. So
we just have to go and take it.

"We have a really important game against Utah (on) Saturday, so
this game is all gone. We just have to think about that game."

After winning both 2012 meetings against the Utes by a combined
57 points, Oregon had to overcome an eight-point halftime deficit
in a 73-64 home win over Utah on Feb. 9. E.J. Singler had 21
points, Damyean Dotson scored 16 and Kazemi added 11 with 14 boards
to help the Ducks snap a three-game skid.

Singler has been held to 7.5 points per game on 25.0 percent
shooting in the last four, but the senior has averaged 15.0 points
and gone 11 of 22 from the field in three matchups with Utah.

The Utes should have some momentum after snapping a four-game
slide with Thursday's 72-61 home win over Oregon State.

"It will be their Senior Day and we'll have a big challenge on
our hands," Altman said.

Senior center Jason Washburn, who scored 15 points Thursday to
top 1,000 for his Utah career, has totaled 46 on 20-of-32 shooting
in the last two with Oregon.

Freshman Jordan Loveridge averages a team-leading 6.9 rebounds
but failed to record one in 33 minutes against the Ducks.

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